Mariana Wagner

Sellers

Colorado Springs Home Seller Information

Find the Value of Your Colorado Springs Home

Top Home Seller Information Articles:

• New Custom Signs for Wagner iTeam Colorado Springs Listings
• Colorado Springs Short Sale Scam is Mortgage Fraud
• Study Proves That Photos Sell Homes for Sale in Colorado Springs … and Everywhere Else.
• How to Take Advantage of Struggling Colorado Springs Real Estate Agents

• Selling Your Colorado Springs Home: How to Compete Against Bank Owned Properties
• Selling Your Colorado Springs Home: How to Compete Against Desperate Sellers
• Selling Your Colorado Springs Home: How to Compete Against Motivated Sellers

• Colorado Springs Real Estate Answers: Why Didn’t My House Sell? Part One: Price
• Colorado Springs Real Estate Answers: Why Didn’t My House Sell? Part Two: Condition
• Colorado Springs Real Estate Answers: Why Didn’t My House Sell? Part Three: Marketing

Pricing Your Home to Sell:

• Expose Your Home to More Buyers in the Colorado Springs Real Estate Market Through Exact Pricing
• Colorado Springs Real Estate Answers: Why Didn’t My House Sell? Part One: Price
• Selling Your Colorado Springs Home: The Importance of Proper Pricing from Day One

Get a Jump on Selling Your Home to Springtime Buyers | National Real Estate Information for February 2011

The Colorado Springs real estate market almost ALWAYS sees a huge jump in sales during the Springs months. However, it is interesting to note that the homes that SELL during the Spring months are the ones that are listed in the first few months of the year…

“A new survey from NAR shows that 89% of all home buyers start their search on the internet.  If you’re thinking of selling your home, catering to the internet home shopper could give you the jump on sellers who wait until spring.”

For more information on how the Wagner iTeam can help you sell your house this Spring, please contact us at 719.434.7525

February 3rd, 2011 by Mariana Wagner | Leave A Comment

Housing is More Affordable! | National Real Estate Information for January 2011

The Colorado Springs Real Estate Connection would like to share some national real estate news about housing affordability to kick off the new year.

Video Compliments of Keller Williams Realty

January 7th, 2011 by Mariana Wagner | Leave A Comment

How Applying for a Loan Modification Can Hurt Your Chances of Selling Your Colorado Springs Home

In the current Colorado Springs real estate market many home owners are “under water” – they owe more than their home could possibly sell for. In several/many cases home owners have lost their jobs/income, etc and can no longer afford their current mortgage payments ON TOP of owing more than the home is worth. This puts people in a tough situation where they can either:

1. Stop making their mortgage payments and let the home fall into foreclosure,
   Read Also: Foreclosure SUCKS – You Have Options
2. Apply for a loan modification and try to lower their monthly payments to something more manageable, or
3. Try to sell the home in a short sale situation
   Read Also: Why a Colorado Springs Short Sale is a Great Alternative to Foreclosure

Photo Courtsey of http://www.flickr.com/photos/respres/2539334956/

If you are a homeowner in this situation and are trying to decide between #2 and #3 (above), here are a few things that you may want to consider.

A Loan Modification is Difficult to Qualify For

In the past 4 years of working with short sales and pre-foreclosures, we have only had ONE homeowner qualify for a loan modification. In most cases, banks push loan modification applications to determine the financial status of the homeowner. And, quite frankly, if a homeowner is in a financial situation to NEED a loan modification, they are not going to qualify FOR one. Vicious cycle. Sad.

Loan Modification Applications vs. Short Sale Applications

When you apply for a loan modification, you want to put your financial situation in the best light possible so that you will be seen, by your bank, as a good candidate. This can be difficult, seeing as you are probably NOT in a great situation … or else why would you be looking to modify your loan? Regardless, you will supply your bank with all the happy, sunshiney things you can possibly come up with to wooo your bank into accepting you. Kind of like a dating service – coming from one side of the honesty spectrum.

When you apply for a short sale, you are doing the complete opposite. Instead of woooing that hot chick or hunky guy, you are trying to make your date break up with you ASAP – coming from the other side of the honesty spectrum. You will be putting your financial situation in the worst light possible – airing out ALL of your dirty laundry in hopes that they will think that a short sale is the best option for you, and for them. And in doing this, you are hoping and praying that the bank will not go after you for any deficiencies.

Aye, There’s the Rub ( Or, “how the loan mod application will screw your chances at a short sale”)

In many cases, a homeowner will try to do a loan modification process first, and if/wen that fails, they will try for a short sale. Wrong Answer. If you JUST submitted a bunch of paperwork to your bank showing how wonderful you are, do you really think they are going to believe that, now, you are a financial train wreck and all of a sudden have to sell your home at a short sale and NOT be responsible for any deficiencies? … Hmmm. No.

Make Your “Foreclosure Avoidance” Decision Wisely

If you are in the unfortunate situation where you can no longer afford your house payment and want to avoid foreclosure, ask yourself these 2 important questions:

1. Do you want to do whatever possible to STAY in your house?
   If the answer is YES, then do whatever you can to either make more money, refinance your loan to a lower payment and/or qualify for a loan modification. (Remember, in most of these cases, you CANNOT BE BEHIND ON ANY PAYMENTS.)
2. Do you just want OUT of your mortgage and move on to a more affordable rental or live with family?
   Many people do not care enough about the actual house to try and salvage their mortgage. If this is the case, then DO NOT apply for a loan modification. Just hire a competent Colorado Springs real estate agent who has ample experience in selling/negotiating short sales and move on with your life.

Committing yourself (and your family) to just one of these routes will not only save you time (and energy) but will also give you a better chance at being successful in whatever avenue you decide to pursue.

Read More:  Colorado Springs Foreclosure and Short Sale Information

January 5th, 2011 by Mariana Wagner | 1 Comment »

Top 3 Reasons to Sell Your Colorado Springs Home During the Holidays

If you absolutely HAVE to sell your Colorado Springs home, you shouldn’t buy into the “holiday slow down” hype by the media. Selling your home during the holiday season can be an excellent time. (Of course, if you do not HAVE to sell, then I would recommend waiting until the economy picks up a bit … )

Here are the top 3 reasons why selling your Colorado Springs home could be a great idea.

1. Home Buyers are More Serious During the Holidays

Think about it … Unless you absolutely HAD to, would YOU add “looking for homes” to your already busy holiday schedule? Of course not. People who are looking to buy a home during the holiday season are serious. They WILL buy a home. This means that you have a much better chance of getting an offer if someone is looking at your home.

2. There is Less Competition

Many home sellers do not want to deal with having their home show-ready during the holidays. Because of this, you will find that a lot of homes will go off the market from about November to February. This is great news for you … Less competition!

3. Your Landscaping Doesn’t Matter

Curb appeal is HUGE! Beautiful landscaping can be a big PLUS for home buyers. However, during the winter months your Colorado Springs home cannot possibly have beautiful green grass and pretty flowers (unless, of course, they are fake, and I would never recommend that…). Let Mother Nature decorate with snow and naturally brown grass. Just make sure your sidewalks, stairs and driveway are always cleared.

If you need to sell a home in Colorado Springs and need some additional information on pricing and staging, please contact our team: 719.434.8346

Read More:

• Colorado Springs Real Estate Answers: Why Didn’t My House Sell? Part One: Price
• Colorado Springs Real Estate Answers: Why Didn’t My House Sell? Part Two: Condition
• Colorado Springs Real Estate Answers: Why Didn’t My House Sell? Part Three: Marketing
  

November 8th, 2010 by Mariana Wagner | Leave A Comment

Colorado Springs Real Estate Information Overview for August 2010

Here is a Colorado Springs Real Estate market snapshot for August 2010, to include the the areas surrounding Colorado Springs of Fountain, Monument and Manitou Springs.

Here are some interesting things to point out:

• The most sales were found in Fountain (to include Security and Widefield) and the Powers area, (to include the Stetson Hills real estate market and Springs Ranch). However, it is interesting to note that those areas also had the most homes for sale.
• The highest percentage of homes sold were in the Briargate real estate market, at 17%.
• The lowest percentage of homes sold were in Manitou Springs (6.8%) and the Black Forest real estate market (6.9%).
• The area average for percentage of homes sold, was 12.5%.

If you are looking to sell your homes in one of these Colorado Springs areas, you will have to be aggressive with both the condition of your home AND the pricing you choose, because, as you see, for every 10 homes for sale in your neighborhood, only about ONE home is selling each month. And that home will be the BEST home for the BEST price.

For more information on the strategies you will need to sell your Colorado Springs home in this market, please call the listing specialists at the Wagner iTeam: 719.434.8346

September 14th, 2010 by Mariana Wagner | Leave A Comment